Ication



(No Model.)

S H. WHITING.

CLASP FQR'GARMBNT SUPPORTERS. No. 327,367. Patented Sept. 29, 1885.

if I 5 I I/79 55555 /7 1/57 far,

UNITED STATES PATENT C EICE.

STILES H. XVHITING, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO SLAYTON & TVHITING, OF SAME PLACE.

CLASP FOR GARMENT-SUPPORTERS.

BPEOIFICATION forming par: of Letters Patent No. 327,367, dated September 29, 1885.

Application filed May 22, 1885. (No model.)

T at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, STILEs H. WHITING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps for Garment- Supporters; and I do hereby declare the fol lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable IO others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to simplify and improve the construction of this class of devices, to produce, in brief, a clasp which will hold the stocking or drawers beyond the possibility of their escape;which will not tear or in any wayinjure fine stockings, and which shall be simple in construction, easy to manage, practically impossible to get out of repair, and

economical in cost. With these ends in view I have devised the novel construction which I will now describe,referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 illustrates my invention as applied to a stocking-supporter. Fig. 2 illustrates it as applied to a drawers or sleeve supporter. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the combined clasp and buckle detached, the scale being full size;

Fig. 4, an elevation of the plain clasp detached in the engaged position; Fig. 5, a similar view, the spring-shank being disengaged; Fig. 6, asimilar View, the jaws being open; Fig. 7, an end elevation, thejaws being open, and Fig. 8 a plan view showing the shanks in the engaged position.

Similar letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

A A represent a pair of shanks held to 4o gether by a pivot, B. Beyond the pivotal of them is provided with an arm, E, having at its end a hook or loop, F. The end of the other shank is formed in any suitable man nor to engage the loop, thus holding the jaws firmly in their closed position. In practice I usually flatten the end of this shank, as shown at G, so that the loop need not be made clumsy. A serious objection to the clasps of this general class now upon the market is that they are all more or less likely to catch and tear lace and trimmings, as they all have projecting parts which are liable to catch the clothing when the wearer moves about, particularly when straightening up after bond ing over. In order to wholly obviate this 01) jection I have provided a notch,'H, aithe outer end of the springshank, in which the loop rests when in the engaged position. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the end of the springshank is not allowed to project above the loop, and the edge of the spring-shank below the notch projects out even with the outer edge of the loop, so as to leave no projections whatever that can catch the trimmings upon undergarments. In the ordinary uses to which this clasp is adaptedfor example, stocking, drawers, and sleeve supportersit is essential that the supporters should be adjustable. I therefore so modify the upper clasp as to make of it a combined clasp and buckle. K is the body of the buckle. This may be made integral with the shank having the arm and loop, but it is preferably made separate and riveted or soldered thereto. The buckle-teeth are upon a piece, L, which turns upon arm E, the points of the teeth being adapted to bear against the body K of the buckle.

Another modification thatlsometimes adopt 0 in the combined clasp and buckle is to dispense with notch H at the end of the spring shank and to extend said shank upward, curving the end over slightly to form a hook, M, which catches under the bottom of loop F. This lends additional strength at just the point where the greatest strain comes. The hook may be used upon the combined clasp and buckle without the slightest danger of its catching upon the clothing, this form the device should be adjustable. N and O are the ordinary parts of a stocking-supporter, either or both of which may be of elastic Web. 1? is the web of an ordinary drawer or sleeve supporter. In use parts 0 are stitched to arms E of the clasps. As the web fills the entire width between the shanks, it acts to prevent the spring-shank from ever slipping out of place. Part N is attached to the combined clasp and buckle by simply passing the end through the buckle and letting the teeth catch it in the usual manner. When used by ladies as a stocking-supporter, the combined clasp and buckle may be left upon the corset, and when used as a drawerssupporter it may be left upon the suspender. In attaching to a stocking or other garment a fold is caught betweenthejaws, and the end ofthespring-sha ink is slipped into the loop F. hen once caught the stocking cannot escape, while at the same time the clasp is so formed that it cannot catch upon any other part of the clothing,

'Ihe details of construction may of course be varied within reasonable limits without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim 1. Aclasp consisting of two shanks, A, pivoted together, which upon one side of the pivotal point are bent outward, then inward, to form parallel jaws G, and upon the other side are bent outward again, one of said shanks having an arm, E, with a loop, F, at its end extending toward the other shank,

which is adapted to spring into said loop, whereby the jaws are locked together and the article between them is securely held.

2. In a clasp, two shanks pivoted together, both of which are provided at one end with jaws 0, one of which is provided at the other end with an arm, E, having a loop or hook, F, at its end, the other shank having a notch, H, which receives the loop when in the engaged position so as to leave no projections to catch upon the clothing.

3. The pivoted shanks having jaws at one end, and at the other end of one shank an arni with a loop at its end, in combination with the body K of a buckle, attached to the arm, and toothed piece L, adapted to turn on said arm and to engage the body of the buckle.

4. The combination, with a stocking-supporter consisting of parts N and O, of three elasps consisting of a pair of shanks pivoted together, both of said shanks having jaws G at one end and one shank being provided at its opposite end with an arm, E, and loop F, adapted to receive the other shank, whereby the stocking or corset is firmly grasped.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence ot'two witnesses.

STILES II. W'HITlNG.

\Vitnesses:

A. M. \VoosTER, A. B. FAIROI-IILD. 

